UN criticism over Margot Wallström appointment

Published måndag 28 februari 2011 kl 09.58

Margot Wallström

Criticism at the United Nations has been aimed at the secretary general for not following standard procedures when appointing Sweden's Margot Wallström at the special UN representative investigating violence against women in warfare and conflict areas.

Also, for not ensuring that there was a budget to cover her salary.

The Swede's salary has to a large extent been covered by a Swedish international foreign assistance grant to the world body - meaning that Swedish tax payers have been paying the bill.

Wallström says it was a coincidence that Sweden granted the fund to help women in conflict zones shortly before she got her job and that her application for the position was not then public.